Assam: BJP Fields Ranjit Dutta From Sonitpur Constituency (Image: Facebook/Ranjit Dutta )

The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Ranjit Dutta to contest in the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Assam”s Sonitpur constituency. The constituency was earlier called Tezpur. Following the delimitation process in the state, the name of the constituency was changed to Sonitpur.

Ranjit Dutta, the former Assam BJP president, is all set to face his debut Lok Sabha polls. The four-time MLA is currently representing the Behali legislative assembly constituency in Assam. In the 2001 Assam Assembly elections, the veteran leader contested from the Behali seat and became MLA for the first time. On that occasion, his winning margin was 13,529 votes.

In the 2006 Assembly polls, Ranjit Dutta again became a member of the Assam Legislative Assembly by defeating Congress candidate Nagen Gowala by a margin of 8979 votes. However, in the 2011 polls, the BJP leader lost the Behali constituency. Congress candidate Pallab Lochan Das won that time by securing 40,798 votes. Ranjit Dutta managed to get only 22,662 votes.

Ranjit Dutta made a significant comeback in the 2016 Assembly elections. He defeated Congress candidate Rupak Sarma by a margin of 23601 votes. Ranjit Dutta also became the Handloom and Textile Minister in the Assam cabinet led by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. Ranjit Dutta again represented the Behali constituency, as he won the 2021 Assembly polls by securing a total of 53,583 votes.

Sonitpur, earlier known as Tezpur, is the sitting seat of the BJP. The seat is currently being held by BJP MP Pallab Lochan Das.